Wilh. Wilhelmsen

The company's owners, the Wilhelmsen family, are descended from Wilhelm Zachariassen Holst (ca. 1732–1807), who worked at Vallø saltverk. His great-grandson was shipping magnate (Morten) Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1839–1910), the founder of Wilh. Wilhelmsen. He was the father of ship-owner Halfdan Wilhelmsen (1864–1923), factory owner Finn Wilhelmsen (1867–1951), ship-owner Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1872–1955) and businessman Axel Wilhelmsen (1881–1957).[6]

Halfdan Wilhelmsen was the father of Mistress of the Robes Else Werring (1905–89), married to ship-owner Niels Roth Heyerdahl Werring (1897–1990). Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1872) was the father of ship-owner Tom Wilhelmsen (1911–78), who was the father of the owners of the Wilh. Wilhelmsen company: Morten Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1937-2020), Cecilie Paus (born 1943) and Helen Juell (born 1947). Cecilie Paus is the mother of fashion designer Pontine Paus and of Olympia Paus, wife of Alexander Nix.[7]

MV Tortugas at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 2008

WW conducts shipping activities and specialises in roll-on roll off cargo, especially for large project and awkward cargoes like train coaches, small aircraft and large industrial machinery. This is aided by the fact that their Ro-ro vessels have large ramps that can support up to 420 tonnes cargo weight at a time. Together with its partners (EUKOR and Wallenius Lines), the group controls some 160 car and roll-on/roll-off carriers operating in a global network of trades. Its customers include manufacturers of cars as well as construction and agricultural machinery. In the car carrier market, they are the third largest carrier tonnage wise after MOL and NYK Line. On an annual basis, WW's shipping companies transport 5 million cars and 12 million cubic metres of high and heavy and non-containerised cargoes.

The group both owns and charters vessels, which are deployed in the fleets operated by subsidiaries Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier, United European Car Carriers and EUKOR Car Carriers. This last, corresponding to the former Roll-on/roll-off division of Hyundai Merchant Marine, was jointly acquired for an 80% by Wilhelmsen and Wallenius Line in November 2002, once the European Commission officially cleared the purchase and consequent re-branding.[8]

In June 2011, Wilh. Wilhelmsen acquired the MV Tønsberg, first of a class of "Mark V" roro ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries; they are the largest roro ships in the world.[9]

In association with maritime transport, WW offers various types of logistics service on land – terminal and technical services, procurement of inland transport and supply chain management for vehicles. In addition to logistical services offered through WWL, the WW group has interests in South Korea's Glovis, Australia's Kaplan and the two US companies American Auto Logistics and American Logistics Network.

Wilhelmsen's maritime service segment includes ships service, ship management, insurance services and other maritime services activities. The group offers services like agencies in many ports. They are one of the world's largest providers of third-party ship management services.[10] The WW group provides full technical management, crewing and related services for all major vessel types, this also includes 50% of NorSea Wind. Furthermore, they sell marine products, marine chemicals, maritime logistics and ships agency. Additionally the group provides marine and non-marine insurance for internal and external clients.

The supply services segment includes NorSea Group, WilNor Governmental Services and other supply service activities. The WW group owns ~75,2% of NorSea Group which provides supply bases and logistics to the offshore industry. Moreover, WilNor Governmental Services (WGS) provides military logistics services in Norway and internationally. In 2018 WGS provided host nation support to both Allied and Norwegian forces during the NATO exercise "Trident Juncture 18". In collaboration with the Norwegian Armed Forces, WGS developed a web-based ordering system named HOBS (short for Host Nation Support Order and Billing System). This technological innovation eased the process of ordering before and during as well as billing after the exercise to both participating and hosting nations. Wilhelmsen owns 51% of the company directly, with the remaining 49% owned through NorSea Group.

During the early hours of 14 December 2002, MV Tricolor (ex Nosac Sun, built in 1987) was sailing from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Southampton, U.K., with a load of nearly 2871 brand new BMW, Volvo and SAAB automobiles. She collided in the English Channel with mv Kariba, a 1982 Bahamian-flagged container ship. Kariba was able to continue on, but Tricolor sank and required salvage by wreck cutting. No casualties occurred.[11]

In between end of 2018 and beginning of 2019, at least two operated vessels (MV Thalatta and MV Morning Composer) heading towards Australian ports, were stopped by the Australian authorities being suspected to carry cargo contaminated by the presence of the Brown marmorated stink bug. The vessels faced serious delays, and were asked to leave Australia territorial waters after a long wait at anchorage,[12] being finally denied to enter any port until new fumigation performed on all cargo.